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Events - 01.18.2024

Harnessing Quantum Technology for the Benefit of Society

IBM’s Q System One quantum computer on display at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show   

Credit: Photo by AA+W/Adobe

Date

01.18.2024 (Thu.)

Time

10:00 AM – 04:00 PM

Location

RAND Corporation
1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA

Fee

Free

The development of quantum science and technology is one of the most highly anticipated technology advances taking place today. Quantum science describes the strange way that microscopic particles behave, but researchers are now finding ways to harness it to create powerful new computers, secure communication systems, and sensors that could soon directly impact our lives. The possible applications are endless: designing new medicines, improving banking security, mapping underground oil reserves, and much more.

The RAND Corporation hosted a free and public conference to explore questions such as: How might these technologies change our everyday lives? Which applications are American and Japanese researchers focusing on, and are there potential areas of cooperation? How are both nations' universities and private sectors advancing quantum science? What lessons can each side learn from the other's experiences?

This conference was held in person at the RAND Corporation's headquarters in Santa Monica as well as livestreamed, and the recordings are now available below on this page. The event was aimed at a general audience without needing any previous knowledge of quantum science; we believe that audience members of all backgrounds learned new things about this exciting technology.

Part 1 | Morning Panel
Harnessing Quantum Technology for the Benefit of Society Webinar 
Part 2 | Afternoon Panel
Dr. Celia Merzbacher and Dr. Akihisa Goban 
Keynote address
Dr. Jay M. Gambetta 

*To watch the videos in full screen, please click play and then the YouTube icon on the lower right-hand corner.

Program

*Scroll down for speaker bios.

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Welcome Remarks
• Mr. Kenko Sone, Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles
• Ms. Yuko Kaifu, President, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles

10:15 AM – 11:45 AM | Morning Panel
Fundamental Research in Quantum Science: Deepening Our Understanding of the Universe
• Dr. Eric Hudson, Professor, University of California Los Angeles
• Dr. Prineha Narang, Professor in Physical Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
• Mr. Kazu Gomi, President and Chief Executive Officer, NTT Research Inc.
• Mr. Rikuto Fukumori, PhD candidate, California Institute of Technology

11:45 AM – 1:00 PM | Lunch Break
Lunch and light refreshments (coffee/tea) will be provided.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Keynote address
• Dr. Jay M. Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice-President of IBM Quantum

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Break

2:15 PM – 3:45 PM | Afternoon Panel
Applied Quantum Technology: Making Useful Quantum Technology a Commercial Reality
• Dr. Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director, Quantum Economic Development Consortium
• Dr. Akihisa Goban, Chief Technology Officer, Nanofiber Quantum Technologies
• Mr. Paul Lipman, Chief Commercial Officer, Infleqtion
 

About the Speakers | Morning Panel

Eric Hudson
Professor, University of California Los Angeles
Dr. Hudson is a professor of Physics and Astronomy at UCLA. His research interest lies at the intersection of quantum information science and fundamental physics, ...  Read more.

... where he has developed new qubits, quantum operations, and error correction. He is the founder and Co-Director of the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering and a Co-Director of the NSF Challenge Institute for Quantum Computation. He also founded the UCLA Master of Quantum Science and Technology Degree program.

Prineha Narang
Professor in Physical Sciences, University of California Los Angeles
Dr. Prineha Narang is a Professor in Physical Sciences at UCLA with an interdisciplinary group spanning areas of physics, chemistry, and engineering. ...  Read more.

... Prior to moving to UCLA, she was an Assistant Professor of Computational Materials Science at Harvard University. She received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Caltech. Her group works on theoretical and computational quantum materials, non-equilibrium dynamics, and quantum information science. Dr. Narang is also the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Aliro, a VC-backed US quantum network company.

Kazu Gomi
President & Chief Executive Officer, NTT Research, Inc.
Mr. Gomi is the President and CEO of NTT Research, Inc., the global R&D arm of NTT. The organization was established in April 2019 ... 
Read more.

... in Silicon Valley, CA, to conduct basic research in Physics & Informatics (quantum computing), Cryptography & Information Security, and Medical & Health Informatics. Before assuming this position, he was a board member of NTT Communications and led NTT America in New York as its CEO for more than nine years. Mr. Gomi has been an NTT employee for 30+ years, engaged in R&D, International business development, and global Internet business. Mr. Gomi received a Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and also from Keio University in Tokyo. Mr. Gomi is a board member of US-Japan Council.

Rikuto Fukumori
Ph.D. candidate, California Institute of Technology
Mr. Fukumori is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Physics at Caltech doing experimental research in developing quantum technologies for quantum networks. ...  Read more.

... Specifically, he uses rare-earth ions doped in solids to make quantum transducers and memories, where he focuses both on the fundamental understanding of the physics and the engineering aspects to improve device performance. Originally from Tokyo, he attended the University of Chicago for his BA in Physics, where he found his passion for quantum science. He is also interested in facilitating collaboration for quantum communication research among nations and hopes to use his expertise in this field to eventually contribute to the construction of a quantum link, for example between Japan and the United States. In his free time, Riku likes to explore the great outdoors that Southern California has to offer.

About the Speakers | Afternoon Panel

Celia Merzbacher
Executive Director, Quantum Economic Development Consortium
Dr. Merzbacher is Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), ...  Read more.

... a consortium that aims to enable and grow the U.S. quantum industry. Managed by SRI, QED-C is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and 250 industry, academic and other members. Dr. Merzbacher is U.S. Co-Chair of the Quad Investors Network’s Quantum Center of Excellence and serves as an advisor to several quantum research organizations. Previously, Dr. Merzbacher was Vice President for Innovative Partnerships at the Semiconductor Research Corporation. In 2003-2008, she was Assistant Director for Technology R&D in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Merzbacher is a Fellow of the AAAS and served as Chair of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Akihisa Goban
Chief Technology Officer, Nanofiber Quantum Technologies
Dr. Goban is the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Nanofiber Quantum Technologies (NanoQT), ...  Read more.

... where he leads the scientific and engineering innovations in building quantum computing technologies with nanofiber cavities and neutral-atom arrays. Prior to his role at NanoQT, he was instrumental in developing the most precise atomic clocks at JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, serving as a postdoctoral researcher. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tokyo and a PhD in physics from the California Institute of Technology, where he developed a nanophotonic cavity QED platform.

Paul Lipman
Chief Commercial Officer, Infleqtion
Mr. Lipman is Chief Commercial Officer at Infleqtion, where he leads productization and growth efforts at the cutting edge of quantum technology. ...  Read more.

... Paul previously led multiple successful cybersecurity companies to exit as CEO and has extensive experience leading complex global organizations and transforming cultures, sales execution and innovation delivery. He has an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and a BSc in Physics from the Victoria University of Manchester, England.

About the Keynote Speaker

Jay M. Gambetta
IBM Fellow and Vice President, IBM Quantum
Dr. Gambetta is the Vice President in charge of IBM’s overall Quantum initiative. He was named as an IBM Fellow in 2018 for his leadership in advancing superconducting quantum computing ... 
Read more.

... and establishing IBM’s quantum strategy. Under his leadership, the IBM Quantum team has made a series of major breakthroughs in quantum computing: the IBM Quantum Experience – the world-first cloud-based quantum computing platform, Qiskit – an open-source quantum software development kit, and the IBM Quantum System One, a family of quantum processors for clients. IBM Quantum continues to expand in the market by providing Quantum as a Service with over 20 quantum systems available online, building the foundations of the quantum industry. Dr. Gambetta received his Ph.D. in Physics from Griffith University in Australia. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and has over 130 publications in the field of quantum information science with over 37,000 citations.

About the Moderators

Jeffrey W. Hornung
Senior Political Scientist, RAND
Dr. Hornung is a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. ... 
Read more.

... He specializes in Japanese security and foreign policies, East Asian security issues, and U.S. foreign and defense policies in the Indo-Pacific region, including its alliances. Hornung has written extensively about Japanese security and foreign policy issues and broader Northeast Asia. Security issues for numerous media, policy, and academic outlets. He received his Ph.D. in political science from The George Washington University. During 2005–2006, Hornung was a visiting scholar at the University of Tokyo where he conducted his doctoral research as a Fulbright Fellow. He also holds an M.A. in international relations with a concentration in Japan Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Edward Parker
Physical Scientist, RAND
Dr. Parker is a Physical Scientist at the RAND Corporation whose research focuses on emerging technologies, with a particular focus on quantum technology. ...  Read more.

... He has published several reports performing comparative assessments of several nations’ efforts in quantum technology and analyzing challenges in adopting next-generation cryptography systems that are resistant to attacks from quantum computers. He has also published research on policy related to artificial intelligence and 5G telecom. Prior to joining RAND, Parker received his Ph.D. in theoretical solid-state physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he numerically modeled exotic magnetic materials that could be useful for building quantum computers.

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